These were the words of one young girl when asked how she feels about the hijab. At the tender age of 15, she is fighting the uphill struggle most teenage girls face; her parents want her to wear the hijab and she doesn’t. It is the common battle of wills between teen girl and Muslim parents, and the parents are losing.

We need to start trying to understand our girls’ point of view, not simply throwing the book of Islamic etiquette at them. I spoke to several young girls about their experiences with hijab and a common theme became apparent; these girls do not feel understood and many of them associate hijab with negativity and oppression. Those lucky to be taught the true beauty of hijab are few and far between, and even then they are fighting an internal struggle with the hijab for themselves.

Our girls & their hijab

I asked the girls what they thought of the hijab in general, whilst some only had negative things to say – feelings of dread, boredom and feeling ugly – other girls were able to take a step back from their own experience and recognize the beauty of the hijab and what it represents. They saw dedication and strength, especially in light of today’s often discriminating society. One girl admired those strong enough to embrace their hijab in the face of society’s challenges.

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